Ammunition-hoist.



No. 670,7l7. Patented Mar. 26, l90l.

R. MATTHEWS.

AMMUNITION l-IOIST.

(Application filed Nov. 20, 1900.) (No Modal.) 3 Sheets-$heet I.

mi palms PETER: cammummvusmmm", o. c.

No. 670,7l7. Patented Mar. 26, IBM.

R. MATTHEWS. I

AMMUNITION HOIST.

(Application filed Nov. 20, 1900.)

3 SheetsSheet 2.

(No Model.)

wzZraetssas No. 670,7I7. Patented Mar. 26, 90h

R. MATTHEWS.

AMMUNITION HOIST.

(Applicltinn filed Nov; 20, 1900.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets--Sheet 3.

II IHHIIV m: Noims PETERS so, womflmu, WASHINGTON, u. c

UNITED STATES ROBERT MATTHEWS, OF MANCHESTER, ENGLAND.

AMMUNlTlON-HOIST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 670,717, dated March26, 1901. Application filed November 20, 1900- Serial No. 37,173. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT MATTHEWS, engineer, a subject of the Queen ofGreat Britain, residing at Openshaw, Manchester, in the county ofLancaster, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAmmunition-Hoists for Loading Ordnance, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to apparatus for loadin g ordnance, and hasreference particularly to the hoists by which the ammunitionis conveyedto the gun from themagazine.

In my prior application for United States Patent, filed July 24, 1900,Serial No. 24,684, I described means whereby the bearing of the pulleyat the top of the hoist was made movable and so connected to thegun-mounting or some other suitable part that the alteration in theposition of the cage, which takes place when the elevation of the gun isaltered after the cage has been raised, would only affect thecomparatively short portion of the rope adjacent to the said pulley,instead of affecting the entire length of the rope.

It is the object of my present invention to modify the means set forthin said prior specification by substituting for the lever mechanismtherein described toothed gearing, as hereinafter explained.

In order that my said invention may be clearly understood and readilycarried into practice, I will describe the same more fully withreference to the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figures 1, 2, and 3are respectively a side elevation, a plan, and a rear elevation of apair of guns mounted in a rotating turret and provided with my improvedapparatus, only so much of the guns and their mountings being shown asis required for a proper understanding of my apparatus. Fig. 4 is anelevation, Fig. 5 a sectional plan, and Fig. 6 a vertical section on theline 1 l of Fig. 4, show ing the improved apparatus separately and on alarger scale.

Like letters of reference indicate similar parts in all the figures.

A A are the guns, and B B the frames in which they recoil.

B is the rotary turret.

C is one of the ammunition-hoisting cages or carriers, and O C are therails along which such carrier travels.

D is one of the hydraulic cylinders for actuating said cage or carrier,and E is the chain or rope which is acted upon by the ram of thecylinder and connected with the cage or carrier at c after passingaround guidepulleys F F. The opposite end of said chain or rope isconnected to the cylinder D.

G is the rammer.

f is a segmental slotted guide carried by the vertical framing O towhich the rails O are connected. f is a bearing-block which is capableof slidingin said segmental slotted guide and is provided with a lateralaxle or stud upon which the uppermost pulley F is rotatably mounted.

' A segmental toothed rack f is fixed to the frame B of the gun, andanother segmental toothed rack f is fixed to the framing O Situatedbetween these two racks and gearing therewith are two toothed wheels fand f mounted to revolve together on a stud f, carried by the slidingblock f. By these means when the gun, with its frame B, changes itselevation the rack f will be correspondingly shifted and by actuatingthe pinion f will'cause the pinion f to travel along the fixed rack fand the block f to slide in the guide f. The position of the axle of thepulley F will consequently be likewise changed to the extent requiredfor keeping the cage in alinement with the gun in an analogous manner tothat set forth with regard to the arrangement already described in myaforesaid prior specification.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is-

In an ammunition-hoist, the combination with an ammunition cage orcarrier, a chain or rope passing around guide-pulleys and connected atone end with the cage or carrier, and at the other end to a fixed point,and a hydraulic cylinder and ram for actuating the chain or rope; of asliding block to which the axle of the uppermost pulley is connected, ofa segmental slotted guide disposed approximately concentric withrelation to the guntrunnions and carried by a part which does notparticipate in the movement of elevation or depression of .the gun, of arotary axle to ICO which the said block is connected, of toothed I myhand, in presence oftvvo subscribing Witwheels carried by said axle, and0f racks ge'arnesses, this 6th day of November, 1900. ing with saidtoothed Wheels, one of said racks being carried by the gun-mounting andthe ROBERT MATTHEWS 5 other fixed t0 the turret of the gun, substan-Witnesses:

tially as and for the purpose specified. ALBERT EDW. KAY,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set SAMUEL GUEST.

